COMMUNICATION

1. There are three main components of communication: the source, the channel, and the receiver. From the source's point of view, communication is essentially persuasion, i.e., to assure you as a communicator that your communication has taken place, or that the desired outcomes are achieved. From the receiver's point of view, communication is a process to elicit the desired responses. As a source you would be happy if the receiver could behave in the way you intended him/her to behave. From the channel point of view, communication is a medium, a carrier of information from the source to the receiver and/or vice-versa. In other words, we can say that communication is defined in terms of the functions to be performed or the objectives to be achieved.

2. According to Shanon and Weaver (1949) the primary concern of communication is to reproduce as faithfully as possible a message sent from one place to another place.

3. Schramm(1973) defined communication as the functions of persuading, informing, teaching and entertaining people. Therefore, communication is a process by which people create and share information with one another in order to reach a common understanding (Rogers, 1986). 

4. Functions of communication 

i) Information: Communication refers to collective storage and dissemination of information for wider utilisation by people. In this way it enables people to participate in and take intelligent decisions on, any issues of social relevance. Information has been taken as a resource for development - socio-cultural and economic.

ii) Socialisation: Communication helps individuals become active members of the society to which they belong. People learn social norms in order to live cohesively. Having access to a variety of information, individuals get opportunities to understand each other and appreciate other people's feelings, emotions, ideas and expectations in a social system. 

iii) Motivation: Motivation of the individual members of a society plays an important role for its development. Communication fosters the individual and community activities, and motivates the people to meet goals, which have been mutually agreed upon. Well-informed individuals take the initiative in activities of social welfare. 

iv) Education: Dissemination of information enhances the individual's intellectual development and helps one acquire the skills and aptitude required to become a productive member of society. In this way, communication and education are two sides of the same coin. The quality of education depends on the quality of communication between society and its members.

v) Entertainment: Entertainment and recreation are important means of making individuals and society healthy. People find enjoyment and entertainment through various communication activities, viz. dance, drama, sports, music, etc. These means of communication provide personal and collective enjoyment.

5. Means of communication 

i) Signs and sounds: Since primitive times, human beings have been using simple signs for communication. Body language and other non-verbal languages, viz., facial expression, gestures, music, songs, drawings,paintings, etc. are in use in different societies. In the tribal societies these means of communication are used for a variety of purposes, despite their obvious limitations (MacBride, 1980). These means of communication became refined and their reach was extended to still larger uses with the passage of time. 

ii) Language: A number of languages and dialects are used for communication purposes all over the world. In India, there are 22 main languages listed under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and over hundreds of dialects used for communication. Language plays an important role in communication in both the face-to-face situation and at a distance - at the national or the international levels. The use of language is an important factor in educational communication too. Problems arise as a large section of the people does not understand each other's language, and this hampers the effectiveness of communication among them. 

iii) Postal system : The postal system is the most vital network for point-to-point delivery of information. It serves as the focal point for communication at a distance throughout the world. The postal system is the most accepted means of communication in both developing and developed countries. India has one of the biggest, well-established and efficient postal services in the world, which makes it possible for us to reach each and every comer of the country. 

iv) Telephone: One of the interpersonal communication networks is the telephone system which is a sophisticated extension of traditional oral communication. No other media can match the telephone for direct and spontaneous communication (MacBride, 1980). 

v) Mass media: The invention of the printing press and the radio waves have revolutionised the communication system throughout the world. These means have increased the reach and effectiveness of communication. Textbooks, newspapers, radio and television broadcasts have stepped into the area of mass education. By overcoming geographic barriers, broadcasting is successfully transmitting information to an unlimited audience. It crosses the boundaries of countries. The innovations in communication technology have opened new horizons for communication. 

vi) Satellites: The satellite-based communication has opened new horizons for the transmission of information over long distances. Satellites have brought the entire world together. One can transmit or receive information from any part of the world in no time at all. Many countries have their own communication satellites. India is among the few countries to have her own multi-purpose communication satellites. The satellites so far launched by India are largely used for various domestic purposes. Besides the television and radio broadcasts, the Indian National Satellites (INSATs) are capable of providing facilities for the meteorological data, telephone networking, remote sensing, etc. 

vii) Computers: The computers are the most advanced and sophisticated means of communication. They are a force in education, as they perform a number of functions with complete efficiency, making communication more interactive and individualised.

                 ..... to be continued